Clutch mechanism.



J. MAI'ILAND.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED 001223, 190s.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

` citizen of the United UNITED sTATEs PATENT oE-EicE.;

JOHN MAITLAN D, OF SWAMPSGOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO vTHE -REEOE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CLUTCH MEcHANIsM.

Sp-ecication of Letters Patent. A'

To all whom it 'may concern: A

Be it known that I, JOHN MAITLAND, a States, and residentof Siva mpscott, `county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have, invented an Improvement in Clutch Mechanism, of which the following description, in connection with the ac' companying drawing, is a specification, like .letters on the drawing representing like parts. v

This invention relates to clutch mechanism of the general character formingl the sub- 718569, granted to Dixon January `13, 1903, wherein one member of a clutch,l rotatable with the shaft to be driven,'is thrown out of coperation with the other member, whichA runs Acontinuously, on said shaft," by means including a rotaryclutch-lever when the latter is arrested by a detent, movableinto and out of the path of such clutch-lever. In 'the said patent the detentis'mounted on a movable arm and is also movable thereon, such latter movement being resisted by a tension spring attached at one' end to the arm and at its other end to the'detent, the object of the spring being to cause the detent to exert a drag ing action upon the clutch-lever andthereiy insure the proper operation thereof to effect disengagement of the .fastand loose clutch members. Manifestly the spring isl subjected to sudden and violent str-ams when the detent and clutch-lever are brought into mutual engagment, and in actualfpractice the springs o en break, putting the `apparatus out of use until a new spring is substituted, the spring having nosupport or O'uide when stretched and then released, this, in connection with the sudden and violent strains when stretched, appearing to be the reason for the undue breakage.

' My present invention relates to clutch mechanism of the character described and it has for its object. the production of novel and eflicient means for improving the action of the detent whereby ybreakage of the controlling spring therefor is reducedv to such a minimum that it is practically obviated..

The various novel features of my invention will be fully describedin the subjoined specification and particularly pointed .out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a front view of a clutch mechanism with one embodiment of my presentinventionapplied thereto, "the detent f ject-matter of United States Patent N o."

. the arm b2,

-shown in coperation with the clutch-lever; Fig. 2 is a detached view of the detent-carrying arm and the parts mounted thereon, some lof the parts being shown in section, and the cover plate on ythe armis, partly broken out;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line -3-3, Fig. l, looking toward. the right, showing the de tent controlling spring and adjacent parte; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the detent,de tached.

'Referring to Fig. l, the main shaft a; the continuously-running belt-pulley a2 thereon, the hub a6 fast onsaid shaft and .on which hub the clutch'lever bi* is pivoted at b5; the

spring c connected at one end with the clutchlever, and at its other end toastud c on the" hub; the. rock-shaft a having the attached arms d and b2, the rod n coperating with arm d to permit the rock-shaft to be turned by spring fto swing theuarm b2 toward the shaft a when the clutch is to be rendered inoperative, and the pawl g arranged to at times coperate with the notch g4 and prevent recoil or backward rotation of the shaft, are'and may be'all as insaid PatentlPatented Jan. laicos. a

No.' 718569. The fast and loose members fa,

a2 of the clutch are disengaged when -rotall tion of the-clutch-lever l# is arrested, as inv said patent, and `the parts so far described. are in themselves not of my invention.

'In accordance with my invention as herein embodied the upturnedend ofthe arm b2 is provided .with a substantially L-shaped guideway or recess 1, 2, in which is seated the comprising an elongated shank 3 and a `lateral head 4:, the vshank -gitudinally in the part 2 of the guideway, Fig.2, ample clearance for movement of the head 4 being provided in thepfart 15 of said guideway. As shown the headof the'detent lprojects laterally beyond t-he inner side'. of

of the shank while the lowerfend 3 extends below the lower end of the guideway and has rigidly attached to it aheavy abutment 5 having a 'socket 6 formed in its upper face, and preferably conical, as shown. A cover-plate 7 arm2 covers the detent therein, being notched guideway and retains the the lower end of said plate at 8 to loo'selyembrace the abutment. At the upper end'of the coverplate, as herein shown, a second rigid abut- 4ment 9` is secured, opposite the abutment 5, and'having an ,aperture 10ftherein, Fig. 2,

detent, shown separately in Fig. 4 and being movable lonattached to-the face ofthe is fixed relatively to '35 resistin compression strains,

which is substantially in alinement with the socket 6.

A combined sprin guide and support, shown asa stout spin le or rod 11 is slidably mounted at its upper end in the abutment 9, andits lower end is tapered or coned at 12 to seat loosely in the socket 6. Preferably the lower end of the spindle has an annular enlargement 13 thereon, and a strong controlling springlllis coiled around the spindle, sald spring being/only partly shown in Fig. 3, the spring being interposed between the abutment 9 and the enlargement 13, as shown clearly in Figs. l and 2. The spring is somewhat compressed under normal conditions and bits expansive tendency acts through the a utment 5 to retain the detent in the position shown in Fig. 2, with the lower edge of its head restingzagainst the lower edge of the part 1 of the guideway in the arm b2.

As will be manifest the abutment 9, lwhich end when' compressed y upward movement ofthe abutment 5 movable withthe detent, the spindle at -such time sliding longitudinally inthe abutment '9, the connection of the spindle with the abutment 5 permitting any slight rockin movement to prevent bending, and it wil engt i lateral displacement or istortion thereof. This causes the sprin to be held true andin correct position for est Y s0 that the laty longitudinally of the spring, cannot be caused ter act irect `and, breaka e or crackingby lateral distortion or bending. As a result and'arresting rotation of the clu not only operates with'greater the sprin ut its life 'is greatly increased and eiciency any tendency mum. f

T he operation of the device is self-evident, movement of the arm b2. toward 'the shaft a bringing the detent 4head 4 into the tilt-h. of tc -lever b, to thereby render the clutchino erative. When the' clutch-l'evei` -hits the moves it upward', Fi 1 and 2, moving the abutment 5 toward t e relatively fixed abutment 9, and the 'sprin 14 is compressed, cushioning'the blow a'n providing the dragthe arm b2 and to thel detent, supports the spying 14 at its upper be seen that the s indlel 'supports the spring throughout its and prevents any t0' break Isreduced to a mini-' etent It abutment fixed thereon, a and movable longitudina ly between the detent and e clutchever the clutch members.

ience of illustration in connectionV with the clutch device of a sewing machine, itis not restricted thereto, but can be used with other apparatus wherein a similar action is r'equired. y

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by ters Patent is i 1. Ina device of the .class described, a r0- tary clutch-lever, a movable arm having. a guideway, a detent having'a shank lo itudinally movable-in the guideway an tended beyond the lower end therof, and provided on the extended part with a rigid, socketed Zabutment, an apertured, oppositel located and relativel t fixed abutment on tiie 'movable arm, a gui e-spindle loosely' seated at `one end in able in Vthe opposite, relatively" ixed abutring for the de and a controlling s le and interposed ment, tent, coiled about the spin between said abutments, operative movemen of the arm effecting coperation of the clutch-lever and" detent and moving the latter a ainstthe stressof the s ring.

2. n a, device of the class tary clutch-lever, a movable arm having an a detent havin shank carried by on the arm Iand rovided with a socke abutment, a spind e tapered at one end and seated in the. socket and in sliding engage- V ment with the other abutment, an ann-u enlargement on the spindle adjacent its'end resting A1n the socketed abutment, anda spring-coiled about the spindle and resting" at one end aainst'said enlargement and at its other en against the relatively fixed abutment, -the spindle guiding the spring when compresse and preventing latera displacement thereof;

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to f this specification, in the presence of two subscribmlg witnesses.

. J OIL MAITLAND; [n s Witnesses:

FREDERICK W. DAvIsoN, WILLIAM J. McLAUonL'IN:

action which insures the plroper en agre- I what' Let- While my invention is shown for convenvoy tao 

